It’s finally a marvelous and magnificent March, the International Women’s Day (IWD) month! As part of a special initiative for the gorgeous readers of TheMidLife, we will be covering a critical aspect of women’s lives every day till D-Day.
United Nations has declared the theme of International Women’s Day 2023 to be “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” When we think about the recent technological strides, one of the significant domains where technology has made a marked difference is the domain of Health! However, there is gender inequality in healthcare. Women’s Health is still languishing at a very languid pace because it is not accorded the same respect and importance as men’s!
When we build a house, we ensure its foundation is as strong as possible. And when you make your own family, you focus on everyone and ensure they are as healthy as possible. But are you focusing on the family’s foundation – i.e., You? Are you as healthy as possible? When did you have your last annual medical checkup? Are you filled up on your prescriptions? Are your supplements languishing at the bottom of some drawer and, more likely than not, expired too?
Does this sound like a familiar scenario? Well, don’t be embarrassed. It is the reality for 90% of the women out there.
Prevention is better than cure, so don’t wait for life to give you a rude shock before you run to the doctor for a thorough checkup.
Preventive Annual Tests
Pap-Smear & Sexual Tests:
A pap smear test is significant as it screens you for cervical cancer. It can detect precancerous changes at the cellular level.
Whether you are monogamous or not, tests for pap smear, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and sexually transmitted infections (STI) are necessary. Do you know that cervical cancer is one of the primary causes of death for females in non-developed countries? Almost half a million women are affected by cervical cancer every year. Are you aware that there is an HPV vaccine that is very beneficial against 70% of cases of cervical cancer?
In all, there are three types of vaccines for cervical cancer – Gardasil, Cervarix, and Gardasil 9. This vaccine targets cervical cancer and other cancers of the anus, vulva, oropharynx, and vagina.
Breast Cancer Checkup:
A self-test is always a good idea to rule out any lumps/swollen areas in the breasts. But go in for an annual test with your gynecologist so that if you have missed something, it is detected immediately and taken care of.
Pre-Screening for Genetic Issues:
As the article title suggests, prevention is better than cure. In case any of your parental units have any lifestyle conditions like diabetes or hypertension, it is an excellent idea to have regular tests to rule out whether you have developed the disease or not. You can easily avoid endless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery if your condition is detected well in time.
Annual Full Body Checkups:
Annual checkups always seem like a waste of time, effort, and money, but this couldn’t be far from the truth. They may cost you a few hundred dollars, but their (solution) is manifold. They give you peace of mind when you realize, upon seeing the results of the annual test reports, that you are hale and hearty. Peace of mind is priceless. And unfortunately, in case you have any issues, isn’t it always good to know beforehand? So that you can get the best possible treatment and banish the illness at its very root for good!
Checkups for Already Pre-existing Conditions:
You may already have pre-existing conditions like hypothyroidism, high/low blood pressure, or diabetes. It is always good to keep track of all your already contracted diseases and be on top of them. Checkups will help you see:
- If your disease is being managed with your current medication or not
- Whether the disease has increased in intensity and you need to consult your doctor for more guidance/higher dose of medicines/additional tests/alternative medicines
- Whether you need to consult with a specialist/surgeon for a more intensive cure/surgery for your issue, as per the recent advancements in medicine
Regular checkups will help you stay current on your already present disease and help you manage it better. You could also go down the alternative therapies route to address the root of the problem and to treat them without chemical medications, such as:
- Homeopathy
- Ayurveda
- Yoga
- Naturopathy
Mental Health:
Life is tough, challenging, and punishing at the same time. And for a woman, even more so. There is so much to be done that there is no break or time to breathe and sigh in peace. And in such cases, your mental Health takes a significant beating without you even realizing it. Hence, do not skimp on your therapy sessions for the mere excuse of money or time. Those sessions might be why you are holding yourself together and running your household impeccably while ensuring you are also breaking glass ceilings professionally.
Despite all the technological advances, gender inequality in healthcare must be balanced. It is shocking to learn that although women suffer from chronic pain in 70% of the cases, more than 75% of all pain research is carried out on males, as per Harvard Health. It is shocking to learn that apart from clinical trials, other resources are disproportionately slotted for illnesses that affect men primarily.
Life will never be easy, and we shouldn’t wait for that perfect relaxed Thursday afternoon when the boss is off for a long weekend, the spouse is off for a Bachelor’s night, and the kids have baseball practice after school, and that is when you will have the 2hours for an annual checkup. That perfect afternoon will probably never come, but with increasing age, the diseases will become known to you soon.
This International Women’s Day, as a regular reader of TheMidLife, promise that you will immediately schedule a preventive health checkup with your doctor as quickly as possible. We understand that you may feel that it is an unnecessary expense of money and a waste of time and effort, but realize that nothing you do for your body and Health is ever a waste!
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